


Social Conditioning

by Bryonia_Alba



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, activist!Luna, mild crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 09:37:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11010780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bryonia_Alba/pseuds/Bryonia_Alba
Summary: Luna's discovered feminism, and Neville discovers he can only support her so far.





	Social Conditioning

**Author's Note:**

> Teenyfic written July 2010 using the prompt "Feminist!Neville helping Hermione (or Ginny or Luna or whomever) burn her bra!"

Neville tried very hard _not_ to look at Luna’s breasts, but it was difficult. The contrast between firelight and flickering shadow was so very enticing, as was the light sheen of sweat from the heat. How could any red-blooded male not find such sights erotic?

_Social conditioning_ , he told himself, over and over, repeating Luna’s mantra to himself. _It’s only social conditioning._

Maybe if he said it enough times the message would start to sink in.

“Breasts are not sexual objects!” Luna said emphatically to Hermione and Ginny, who both seemed equally as intent to not look at her bared chest, if perhaps for different reasons. “Women in the tropics go topless all the time, and the men think nothing of it. Men in ‘civilised’ society are allowed to take off their shirts in the heat all the time, yet women aren’t allowed. It’s not fair! It’s time to take back our bodies!”

“Hear, hear,” Neville murmured, focusing on the firelight even though he’d much rather watch the way Luna’s chest heaved between breaths, or the slight bounce of her breasts whenever she punched the air to make a point.

“Luna, there were no actual bra burnings during the women’s rights movement,” Hermione said uncomfortably. “It’s a myth.”

“Then I shall make it reality,” Luna declared, straightening proudly. Neville swallowed hard as the movement made her breasts jut outward. “Let the bra burning begin!”

_Social conditioning_ , he told himself frantically, trying to be supportive. Luna was his girlfriend, after all.

Luna tossed one of her plain cotton bras into the flames, cheering when the material caught and burned. It was quickly followed by a lacy black one, and Neville nearly cried. That one had been one of his favourites. Luna had been so sexy in black lace...

His resolve broke when Trevor hopped into the circle, bearing a blue satin bra. It was the one Luna had worn the first time they’d made love, and he was particularly fond of the way they cupped her, lifting and separating, making it easy for Neville to lick and suck and nuzzle the treasures beneath before undoing the hooks and giving Luna’s breasts the attention they deserved.

“No!” Neville snatched the blue bra from Trevor, holding it to his chest. Ginny and Hermione looked at him, and if Ginny looked a little _too_ knowing he wasn’t going to complain. 

“Neville, what are you doing?” Luna looked at him from her place opposite the fire. “You know those are symbols of oppression!”

“I know that,” he replied, resolutely ignoring her tone of disappointment. Hell, even Trevor was looking at him with something resembling reproach, though that was probably just his imagination. “It’s just that...I can’t handle this much change at one time. You can burn the rest, but not this one. It has...” He met Luna’s gaze. “It has sentimental value.”

He ignored Ginny’s choked-off giggle and the fact that Hermione was clearly blushing in the flickering firelight, watching Luna’s expression soften.

“Oh, Neville,” she said fondly. “Clearly we still have work to do.”

“Social conditioning takes time,” he agreed, nodding. “Can’t we save this one for another occasion? When I’m more ready?” Or until he could bring it safely out of hiding, whichever came first.

Luna twisted a lock of hair around her fingers, considering, and nodded. “All right. But only if you burn the next bra.”

“Okay.” Stuffing the blue bra into his trouser pocket, Neville gladly threw another plain white bra into the flames. Picking Trevor up before the toad wandered too close to the fire and got singed, he watched Luna continue her bra-burning crusade.

Covertly watching her breasts the entire time. There were some things no amount of social conditioning would change, and Neville figured this was one of them.


End file.
